It had been six years since the Sul Ross State baseball team won a series against the University of the Ozarks.
On Saturday afternoon on a picture-perfect day at Kokernot Field, the Lobos had a golden opportunity to take the series.
After a game-tying RBI triple to right by
Primo Vasquez in the bottom of the ninth,
Aaron Morales came up and hit a shot over the left fielder's head to help the Lobos defeat the Eagles in walk-off fashion with the RBI single to make the score 9-8.
>> HOW IT HAPPENED:
Morales got the Lobos on the board with a solo home run to right in the bottom of the first.
Isaac Price then gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead in the top of the third with a two-run home run to left field.
Sul Ross tied up the game in the fourth on an RBI single by
Matthew Wheeler that brought in
Tye Lindsey.
The lead shifted back to the Eagles in the top of the fifth when Ethan Cash drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right.
After a 1-2-3 inning for reliever
Aidan Mow, the Lobos tied up the game at three-all after Vasquez scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth.
The Eagles dealt another blow by taking a 4-3 lead with an RBI double by Dru Didway in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Wheeler drew a leadoff walk.
Orlando Moreno then put Wheeler into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
Estevan Ortiz hit a single to right center to put runners at the corners for
Jared Roiz who hit an RBI single to center.
Tied up at 4-4, Vasquez delivered a clutch two RBI single to right to give the Lobos a 6-4 lead.
Sul Ross added a three-run cushion after Moreno hit an RBI single to left center in the bottom of the eighth.
The Eagles began to brew a comeback in the top of the ninth after a leadoff walk and a single to left to setup runners at first and second.
Josh Ropple came up and hit a game-tying three-run home run to left field.
The Eagles later took the lead after Taber Childs scored on a fielder's choice.
Trailing 8-7 in the bottom half of the ninth, Roiz drilled a leadoff double down the right field line. Vasquez then came in and hit a blooper that got passed the diving right fielder.
With the infield and outfield playing in and a runner on third, Morales came into the clutch to send the Lobos into a mass celebration.
Sul Ross tallied 15 hits. Five Lobos had a multi-hit day.
Vasquez went 4 for 5 with two singles, a double, triple and three RBI while Morales finished 2 for 5 with a single, homer and two RBI.
Lindsey tallied a single and a double to go 2 for 4.
Roiz went 2 for 5 with a single, double and RBI while
Tristan Karels hit a single and a double to go 2 for 4.
Dawson Beard earned the no-decision after throwing five innings allowing three earned runs while he tallied six strikeouts.
Mow pitched one scoreless and hitless inning with one strikeout.
Connor Archer and
Ian Craigie came into relieve for the next 2 1/3 innings.
Aiden Becker was the pitcher of record as he improved to 2-1 after facing two batters in the ninth as he threw 2/3 of an inning.
>> POSTGAME INTERVIEWS:
"It's always nice to be able to take that series from them. Hopefully we can keep winning more. That's what we talk about all the time is team AB's and letting things happen the way they happen. We had good at bats throughout the entire game. We were hitting balls the other way, we were taking what was given. I'm proud of them for that because we talk a lot about the mentality that it takes to win ballgames and also talk about what it takes to keep in the fight when things aren't necessarily going our way. It's nice when those discussions start leading to situations like this." —
Head coach Ely Gallego
"Going through my mind. We were down. Energy was flowing. Everything was going good, so I knew I had to produce for my team. Just have a team at bat. That's what I did. Found a ball that I liked and I hit it. We got out with the dub. We needed this win big time. We want to get to the ultimate goal making that conference championship. We come through when it matters. We all came together as a unit." —
Morales on his approach in the ninth
"Jared getting on was big for us. I was trying to have good at bats, hit something hard. It was a great overall win. Our offense really came alive today. It was big and our pitching staff was able to hold them down." —
Vasquez on getting the win
>> RECORDS: Sul Ross (11-12, 7-8); University of the Ozarks (6-20, 5-10)
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos host the University of Texas-Permian Basin for a single game at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 4.
